


Empty on the ground (Gone without a sound)

by admirabletragedy



Series: Whumptober 2020 [21]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Completely disregards Season 2, Fic, Gen, Hurt Klaus Hargreeves, Hypothermia, Takes place at the end of season 1, no.21, whumptober2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:22:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27128515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/admirabletragedy/pseuds/admirabletragedy
Summary: Day 21 • HypothermiaHe's going to die here, he realizes, he's going to freeze in the middle of God-knows-where, and his siblings probably won't even notice he's gone until they reach the cabin and realize he's missing.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Whumptober 2020 [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946944
Comments: 8
Kudos: 207
Collections: Whumptober





	Empty on the ground (Gone without a sound)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VeteranKlaus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeteranKlaus/gifts).



> Title is from the song “This December,” by Ricky Montgomery
> 
> • For @VeteranKlaus because their fics are *chefs kiss*

Klaus was tired of Ben pressing him to talk to his family.

It's not that he doesn't appreciate his ghostly brother’s concern, he's just freezing cold and already trying his best not to fall behind the group. In spite of his best efforts, however, he's lagging behind the others. In the back of his mind, he thinks there's a joke about being out of order but he can barely think about putting one foot in front of the other.

“Tell them, Klaus!” Ben urges, waving an exasperated hand toward Diego’s back.

Klaus shoots him a glare, blinking the snowflakes from his eyelashes.

Clenching his jaw, he keeps moving, ignoring his shivers with nothing more than a will to stay up.

He doesn't want to disappoint his siblings again, _hell_ , he'd already been told he needed to stop exaggerating.

_“We have to reach shelter, Klaus.”_

_“You're not the only cold one, Klaus.”_

_“Shut up, dumbass.” (Five’s spite is rivaled only by his annoyance.)_

So yeah, he's not going to complain again, Klaus decides. What would be the point?

Ben looks like he wants to rip his hair out; Klaus can't exactly blame him, he'd probably want to as well if he had to be attached-at-the-hip with himself.

It's getting hard to think, all he can register is the snow and cold.

If he could speak without the fear of shivering so hard his teeth rattle out of his skull, he'd be cursing Five because of all the fucking places to travel to, _of course_ , he took them to the tundra. And of course, Klaus is the only one in a sleeveless vest over a fucking tank top and his cut-up leather pants. He envies Vanya, who's being carried by Luther. 

He must’ve stopped walking at some point because when he squints, he sees his siblings are even farther ahead than before.

Ben appears in front of him with a flash of blue — _why's he swaying?_ — and his mouth moves like he's trying to say something.

Klaus should probably listen, but his brother sounds miles away. 

Digging his nails into his arm, Klaus uses every last reserve of energy to summon the will to take a step.

Or, tries to, at least. He goes down before he can process what's happening, barely able to tilt to the side as his legs fail him. 

Muscles stiff, he can't even curl up, bare toes covered in snow and fingers unable to stop clamping down his arms. God, he feels like he's on _fire_.

Ben’s sitting next to him; Klaus feels like crying.

He's going to die here, he realizes, he's going to freeze in the middle of God-knows-where, and his siblings probably won't even notice he's gone until they reach the cabin and realize he's missing.

Klaus Hargreeves: survives ghosts, drug overdoses, living on the streets, the actual fucking apocalypse, and the Vietnam War, only to die from a little bit of snow.

Suddenly, there's a hand on his shoulder. 

_Why's it shaking him?_

“ _D’ve_?”

The figure sits him up, wrapping him in dark fabric, and holding him to their chest. Klaus sinks into the hold, shivers wracking his frame as he fights the urge to sleep.

The figure’s hand pushes Klaus’ head into his shoulder, tugging the fabric even tighter around and blocking Klaus’ face from the still-falling snow.

Voices merge together, snippets of phrases and questions being heard by Klaus before he gives up on keeping his eyes open and lets the darkness swallow him whole.

* * *

The first thing Klaus processes when he wakes up is the soft blanket covering him and the warm body he's laying half on top of. A glance up tells him it's Diego, who's missing half his clothes.

“Sharing body heat is the best way to fight hypothermia.” Klaus’ head snaps up at the source of the comment, _ah_ , Ben.

It's as he tries to turn around to face his brother that he realizes there's someone else behind him. Correction, more than one person. Five is curled up, face pressed against Klaus’ back, while Luther lies behind him. A glance to Diego’s other side tells him Vanya’s here as well, tucked into a gray blanket. That just leaves-

The sound of heeled-shoes hitting the floor, causing his head to turn toward the sound's source on instinct, Klaus relaxes upon realizing who it is.

Allison kneels down in the space between Diego and Vanya, placing a hand on his forehead.

Klaus blinks up at her owlishly, still half-asleep.

“ **You hungry?** ” Allison has written down on her notebook paper, holding the writing where he can see it, his eyes focusing and unfocusing on the words. Letting him take his time processing, Allison pushes his bangs back — she's such a mom — and stands up as Klaus nods.

As she starts walking away, Klaus shoves a hand on the air mattress next to Diego, pushing himself up into a sitting position and leaning against the wall so the blanket can still cover Diego, Five, and Vanya. Prompted by a shiver, he pulls the jacket he's wearing — upon closer inspection, he realizes it's actually Diego's — tighter around his exposed chest. 

He must've put it on Klaus while they were outside; it'd explain the black fabric he remembers being draped over him.

Handing him soup — the bowl warms his aching fingers — Allison sits down opposite him, wringing her hands together before picking up the notebook she'd left on the ground, clicking the pen open.

“ **You really scared us.** ”

Klaus blinks, lowering his spoon from where it was hovering by his mouth, “huh?”

“Eloquent,” Ben remarks from the corner he's lurking in. Klaus ignores him.

He lets her write, taking the time to keep eating the soup she'd brought him, it's nice. He wonders if Allison made it herself.

“ **You stopped responding & were so cold. We thought you might not make it.**” He paused after reading it, thinking of a response while he focused on eating.

Klaus forgoes the spoon this time, holding the bowl up and sipping the warm soup, finishing it.

“It'll take more than a little snow to take me out, sis.” He says, instead of _‘yeah, I didn't think so either.’_

At the sound of Allison letting out a shaky breath, Klaus startles, taking in the sight of his sister holding her head in her hands.

Ignoring the shivers running from his fingers to his toes, Klaus sets his bowl down in front of him — by Five’s feet — before opening his arms.

Looking up and seeing the invitation, Allison leans forwards, securing him in a tight hold.

Despite the cold air causing him to tremor and his sister’s shaking, it's the nicest hug he's had in a long time and he savors it, holding her back just as tight.

Eventually, her tears subside, and Allison pulls back, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.

Sniffing, she reaches for her notebook, writing something down quickly. Klaus sinks back down, half on top of Diego, craving the warmth after being exposed to the cold while he ate.

Despite having just settled in, Klaus pushes himself onto his elbow, reading the message Allison is holding in front of his face, “ **Don't do that again.** ”

“What?” He mumbles, gaze growing bleary, “nearly die?”

Allison nods — lying down beside Vanya — and Klaus refrains from mentioning this is far from the worst he's been. Instead, he nods.

_He feels like a liar._


End file.
